


The Principle

by NotEvenThat



Series: The Relationship Between Magnus and Max Lightwood [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Cunning Max, Cute things, Fluff, Homophobia, Indifferent Max Lightwood, Max Centric, Max stands up for Alec and Magnus, max's pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-05-11
Packaged: 2018-10-30 12:55:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10877211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotEvenThat/pseuds/NotEvenThat
Summary: Someone insults Alexander and Magnus in a meeting and Max deals with it before anyone else has the chance too.





	The Principle

Max wasn’t forced to stay in the meeting but his only other option was going into his room and staying there. Now, normally Max would have chosen the second option but there were Clave members in the Institute now and apparently they weren’t too pleased with Max’s ‘insubordination.’ Meaning, if he went into his room someone would be there to make sure he didn’t leave and light something on fire.

Max wasn’t against sitting in his room while some awkward Shadowhunter was forced to watch him but he’d much rather sit in the meeting and hear what was going on. Max had recently learned that there was a _lot_ going on and no one seemed too keen on telling him about it. So, he sat in the meeting with little argument.

The room was filled with every member of the Institute (not his siblings though because they had been sent on a mission. The only other person who seemed sadder than Max about this fact was Magnus, who seemed to regret coming to the meeting _at all,_  once he learned that Alec wasn’t there), some Downworlder representative and some members of the Clave. There were a couple of people who Max couldn't immediately decide if they were Shadowhunters or Clave representative. One was a man who was sitting in the front. He looked too uninterested to be someone there on business, so Max was leaning towards him being someone new in the Institute.

Max had been hoping that the meeting would be filled with drama. He was hoping to learn why his siblings were so stressed out and why Mom didn’t want to talk to Dad (It didn’t seem to be about Alec dating a warlock anymore, which was odd because Max couldn’t think of anything else that could be upsetting her more than that) but mostly, the meeting was filled with a bunch of boring discussions about boundary lines, territories and something about a cup.

Max wasn’t even paying attention to what anyone was saying until everyone started to stand up. Some Downworlders left instantly, upset and angry, though Max couldn’t pinpoint what part of the boring meeting had upset them. Some Shadowhunters left too, fleeing out of the conference room with a much more understandable expression: Boredom.

But when the man spoke there were still a lot of people in the room. Mom was gathering papers on the table next to him, as were a couple of other Shadowhunters. There was still a large amount of Downworlders in the room, who seemed like they were in a hurry to get out but were being more calm about it.

And then there was the man and Magnus. The man was standing only a few feet away from Max. His jacket shifted and Max saw the badge on his shirt: A Clave representative then. Magnus was standing in front of the man and Max was so caught up in his deduction skills that it took him a second to realize that Magnus looked mad. He looked really mad. Mom was starting to notice too because she placed her papers back down on the table and stared at them, her expression tight, like she knew if it escalated she would have to step in and take a side but she was praying that it wouldn’t and that they would both walk away.

Max hadn’t even been thinking about walking over. He just stood up because the meeting was done. He was free to go now and while he was interested in the drama revolving around his family, he had much better things to do than to watch and figure out why his brother’s boyfriend didn’t like this random Clave member.

He had been walking over to Mom, passing Magnus and the man, his mouth already opening to say, ‘Can I leave now?’ In the most bored tone that he could muster (which, was very bored), when he heard it.

The man snapped angrily, his tone indicating many things, only a couple of which that Max could pick up on. The man was enraged about whatever they were talking about but even as mad as he was, he spoke down to Magnus like he was speaking to an animal that had done something to deserve his displeasure. It reminded Max of the way Jace spoke to Church sometimes, when he scratched up his things.

The man’s tone wasn’t what made Max stop though. He didn’t particularly care if this man was treating Magnus badly. Max had seen Magnus fight before. He was sure that Magnus could handle himself and if he couldn’t then that certainly wasn’t the problem of the nine year old who happened to be in the room. No, it was what the man said that made Max stop.

“They should execute the Lightwood for stooping so low as to sleep with a Downworlder, let alone a _warlock._ ”

A couple of things went through Max’s mind. The first was that the man was talking about Alec. The second was that Max didn’t really understand why this man cared if Alec slept over Magnus’s. The third was that this man wanted Alec to die.

A noise came out Magnus’s mouth, an angry surprised expel of air. Max could tell that Magnus was about to do something. He was about to scream at the man or hurt him. Mom was starting forward too, her expression angry and conflicted.

Max was closer though. Magnus was a few feet away from the man, Mom was almost across the room but Max was standing right there, only an arm's length away from the man, completely unseen.

Max didn’t do it for Magnus. He didn’t do it for Alec either. He didn’t even do it so his Mom wouldn’t have to deal with it. They were all adults. They could handle it. They could take care of themselves. No, Max did it on the _principle_ because no one was going to say his brother _or_ his boyfriend should die in front of Max and get away with it.

Everything went through Max’s mind before anyone else could step in front of him and handle it. So, Max simply stepped forward and swung his leg back, just like Jace had taught him too and then he threw it forward and kicked the man as hard as he could in the private.

And Max could kick _hard._

The man looked down at him a split second before it happened and Max watched him double over, crying out in pain and surprise, in a way that was rather pathetic for an adult Shadowhunter, at least, Max thought so.

There was stunned silence after Max kicked him. Magnus was staring at him with wide eyes, the magic in his finger tips flickering out. Mom was frozen where she had been walking over, her expression one of absolute horror.  

The man stayed on the ground.

Max didn’t stay to see what else happened though. He wasn’t too interested in the conversation that would follow this incident or what the man himself would say, if Max stayed long enough to hear it. So, Max walked out. Everyone was too stunned to stop him and Max figured if he moved fast, he could duck into Mom’s office before she locked it again and take his stele.

Like he said, Max had things to do.

**Author's Note:**

> God, I love the personality the show gave Max. He's so fun to write.  
> Leave a comment?


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